By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After embarking on an extensive search for a second-in-command administrator, Waterford Graded School District officials have named an educator to the recently vacated director of curriculum and student growth position.
The School Board on May 23 formally hired Sloan Allen. He succeeds Kathy Hoppe, who held the position the past three years under a similar name: assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.
Allen and his wife, Laura, have lived in Waterford the past four years with their three children. The quality of the district’s schools, Allen said, led to his desire to seek the curriculum and student growth position.
“I see Waterford as my ‘forever’ school district,” Allen wrote in a letter that was included in the official announcement of his hiring. “My children attend Evergreen, and you can often see my wonderful wife donating her time in their classrooms.”
Allen has 18 years of public education experience, the past five as an administrator in another Racine County-based K-8 feeder school district: Union Grove Elementary School.
While at Union Grove, Allen said he embarked on several efforts, including changes in district standards, how the school addresses intervention programs for struggling students and educator effectiveness evaluation tools.
“I’ve enjoyed the journey and take great pride in seeing teachers and students do well,” Allen said. “In the past five years, I’ve been able to form strong bonds with staff, parents and students as moved forward in our paths together.”
Allen, who was in the audience at this week’s School Board meeting, officially begins his employment with WGSD on July 1 when the district begins its 2016-17 budget cycle.
In other recent business, the WGSD School Board:
- Approved a new position description: information technology administrative assistant. The person selected to fill the position will work with Kannon Heath, WGSD’s technology administrator, for support-related functions.
Superintendent Ed Brzinski acknowledged the search for a person qualified to handle some of the more technical aspects of the job might not be easy. The district is seeking candidates who can manage and maintain a range of student program databases.
“It’s a little bit of a challenge to find the right person with the right qualifications,” Brzinski said.
- Approved support staffer Gayle Kossow’s resignation request. Kossow has been a WGSD employee for 34 years. For 19 years, she was a library aide at Fox River Middle School. Since 2001, she has been a school secretary at Trailside Elementary School.
- Approved a contract with the Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) for the 2016-17 school year at a cost of $15,351.
CESA provides a range of support services to districts. In WGSD’s case, CESA will provide audiology testing services for hearing checks and related activities.
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